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Longmont police ticket dozens, arrest host after busting up underage drinking and pot smoking party near Longmont High

By John FryarLongmont Times-Call

Posted:
11/03/2012 08:52:18 PM MDT

Updated:
11/03/2012 08:53:58 PM MDT

LONGMONT -- Police ticketed about 40 youths suspected of under-age drinking -- and some of them, of smoking marijuana -- after officers were dispatched to check out an anonymous late Friday night complaint about a party under way at 2260 11th Ave.

Officers arrested the party's alleged host and organizer, whom they identified as 20-year-old Mark Evan Lipford, on suspicion of underage possession and consumption of alcohol, contributing to the delinquency of minors, possession of drug paraphernalia and other offenses.

Longmont Police Cmdr. Jeff Satur said a narcotics unit was still searching the residence on Saturday afternoon, hours after the early-Saturday incident.

Lipford

Satur said several officers were still completing their reports, that he didn't have information about the exact number of people ticketed, and that more charges may be pending. He said his preliminary look at the drafts of some of those reports indicated that about 40 people were issued summonses.

Officer Paul Beach wrote in an arrest affidavit that 45 summonses were issued. He said 19 of them were issued to juveniles, ranging in age from 13 to 17, for alcohol-related violations.

Beach reported that while he was waiting outside the house for Lipford to come outside, "I could smell the odor of burnt marijuana smoke emanating from the open window."

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Looking into the house through an open venetian blind, Beach reported, "I saw a juvenile smoking from a marijuana pipe. I saw other multicolored marijuana drug pipes and a bong in the kitchen and living room area.

"I saw several juveniles holding beer bottles and party cups," Beach wrote in the arrest affidavit. "I saw a beer keg in the back yard of the residence."

Lipford refused to let officers into the house, locking the door and walking away as Beach continued to knock and announce who he was, Beach said. After a while, he said, "numerous juveniles were jumping the back fence and running away," with police apprehending several.

Other party-goers stayed inside the house, retreated to the basement and turned off all the lights, Beach reported.

"It was very out of control," Satur said.

Eventually, officers forced their way in after a fight broke out inside the residence. Beach said those officers found "numerous juveniles and adults" inside. One boy was taken to Longmont United Hospital for treatment of injuries and "an unresponsive female was transported to LUH for acute alcohol intoxication."

In a report attached to Beach's, Officer Chad Jacquet wrote that one of the party-goers had told him that Lipford had threatened to punch anyone who opened the front door to speak to police. Jacquet said other party attendees corroborated that accusation.

Among the potential charges that Lipford may face, according to Beach's arrest affidavit, are obstructing police, barricading or holding hostages, and false imprisonment through force or a threat of force.

Beach said one 16-year-old told police that Lipford was selling empty cups for $3 each to anyone at the party, including juveniles, and that juveniles also were smoking marijuana there.

"Other unidentified suspected narcotics, including loaded syringes, were also located in the residence," Beach wrote.

After being formally arrested at about 3:15 a.m. Saturday, Lipford was processed at the Longmont Police Department and then taken to the Boulder County Jail, Beach said.

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